This week in health and medicine news from The Lancet USA, the GOP’s ACA replacement bill remains a secret, even from some of the GOP, asbestos still remains a killer, decades after bans of its use began, and a gene therapy technique may offer hope for sufferers from sickle cell disease.

ACA Replacement Bill Being Drafted in Secret

Republican lawmakers continue to work on a bill to fulfill their promise to “repeal and replace” former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act. GOP lawmakers have had difficulty so far in satisfying all of their various factions while also producing a bill that won’t be politically toxic upon unveiling. The current state of the bill is unknown, after a leaked draft last week was shot down by the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus for not going far enough to dismantle the ACA. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky spent this week wanding around the Capitol with a portable copy machine and a camera crew, attempting to find the room where the secret bill was available for view by select members of the GOP caucus. Paul, who has said that he will not support any repeal legislation that does not fully do away with the ACA, was blacklisted from viewing the bill-in-progress by GOP leadership. (Washington Post)

Asbestos-Related Deaths Continue Decades after Ban

The CDC is reporting that deaths from malignant mesothelioma, a type of cancer linked to exposure to asbestos, has remained steady, rising slightly from 2,479 deaths in 1999 to 2,597 deaths in 2015, despite the banning of asbestos-containing products in the 1970s. It can take twenty to fifty years before exposure to asbestos can result in negative health consequences, so researchers are concerned about the rise in those aged 25 to 44, who died due to mesothelioma and related problems, 682 since 1999. Asbestos was use widely throughout the United States, from home insulation and in break pads, to lining plumbing and in hair dryers. (CNN)

Sickle Cell Gene Therapy Appears Successful

Researchers at a children’s hospital in Paris report that they have successfully caused remission of symptoms in a boy with sickle cell disease. The boy underwent an experimental gene therapy at age 13, and in the fifteen months since has shown no further complications from the debilitating disease, which causes pain, fatigue and can cause blood clots and death. Sickle cell disease is more common among those of African descent, and approximately 100,000 Americans have the disease. (Chicago Tribune)

Pregnant Women with Zika at 20 Times Great Risk for Birth Defects

According to a report from the CDC, babies of women who are pregnant and infected with the Zika virus face a 20 times great risk of experiencing a birth defect. The risks of microcephaly and brain abnormalities were even higher, up to 30 times greater than in the general population. While the majority of Zika infections have been found in Brazil, the infection has spread north into Central America and the United States, with an outbreak in Miami and Texas (CBS)

Republican Politicians Speak Out in Support of Planned Parenthood Funding

While no concrete plans have been put forth, leaked Republican plans for repeal of the Affordable Care Act have included bans on Medicaid funding being used for Planned Parenthood, the organization that provides basic women’s health services around the country, in addition to abortion. However, several Republican politicians have spoken out in support of the health care organization in recent days, include Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, who has promised to use state funds to continuing funding Planned Parenthood clinics in the event that federal funds become unavailable. In the Senate, Maine Senator Susan Collins and in the House, Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent have both expressed concerns about defunding the popular program. (Charlotte Observer, The Hill)

Fitness Tracker Fad Reaches Its Logical Endpoint

A British company will begin selling a fitness tracking condom later this year, allowing users to track a number of pertinent “statistics” related to a certain subset of physical activities, including duration, skin temperature, and a number of other more graphic measurements. The data collected will be anonymous, according to the company, but they say that you will be able to share this vital data with friends and the world at large, including a world-wide leader board. The novelty item is expected to be sold for $75. (Huffington Post)